Jim Carr had served as the President of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides for more than three and a half years when he was elected President of the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (NFTGA). He previously held a variety of positions in the Guild, including Co-Chair of the Certified Master Guide Program.

A Tour Guide for 25 years, Jim guides primarily along the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. He loves showing people and interpreting for guests, historic and interesting sites, and possesses an infectious enthusiasm and an encyclopedic knowledge of fascinating facts.

Jim’s Rule # 1 in Tour Guiding: Be Flexible!
Jim’s Rule # 2 in Tour Guiding: See Rule # 1!

As President of NFTGA, Jim is working closely with Vice President Mike Pearl of Denver and NFTGA Board Members, as well as the Presidents of the Tour Guiding Associations around the U.S. NFTGA will be conducting Education and Training Programs on a regular basis, which are designed to make its individual members more knowledgeable and better-informed Tour Guides.

His previous career as a public servant included working at the United Nations in NYC and eight (8) U.S. federal agencies, including longtime service as the Dean/National Director for Training and Education of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

As a Reserve Civil Affairs Officer (“Monuments Man”/Colonel) in the U.S. Army, he worked closely with the U.S. State Department all over the world in putting broken governments back together; with refugee populations; and with international NGOs, including Medicines Sans Frontiers and the International Committee of the Red Cross; and in recovering art and cultural treasures.

Jim also served as a federal Interagency Advisor (mentor) to Presidential Management Fellows for eight (8) years and has been a docent at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. for more than 20 years.

He was onetime President of the American Society for Public Administration (NCAC). He had also served as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy and as Chair of the Spanish Education Development Center in Washington, DC. At one time, he drove a taxi in NYC.

His graduate degrees include an MA in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati; an MS in Public Information from American University; and an MPA and Doctorate (ABD) from the University of Southern California. He also completed a Leadership Development Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and “graduated” from the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA.

His numerous awards include a Gold Medal for Exceptional Service from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for leading a group of scientists in “assessing the health and environmental impacts of the Kuwait Oil Well Fires.”

A decorated Army officer, he is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and two awards of the Legion of Merit for his military service.